Ohio Senate

State legislative eaders are ready to deliver another blow to fellow Republican, Gov. John Kasich. The Senate is likely to give final approval to at least some veto overrides that started in the House. The vote would be more than just a symbolic loss of power for the Kasich Administration.

The Senate has unanimously approved a bill called, “Judy’s Law.” It increases penalties and adds times onto sentences if an accelerant is used to intentionally disfigure a victim by setting that person on fire.

Lawmakers in the House and Senate are working on finding middle ground on the $65 billion state budget. Both chambers must have the bill on the governor’s desk by the end of the week.

To get an idea of what leaders in the Republican-dominated legislature are hashing out behind closed doors, look no further than Representative Bill Seitz’s floor speech before he voted against the Senate’s budget last week.

The Senate has unveiled its version of the two-year state budget. It dedicates even more money for the state to fight the opioid epidemic and includes more money for most schools. But it also comes with spending cuts for state agencies and outright elimination of some programs.